Titas takes four to guide India to easy victory over Australia

The Bengal pacer's haul helps hosts romp to nine-wicket win in the first T20I

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Titas Sadhu was playing her second international game for the senior team when India took on Sri Lanka in the Asian Games final last September. Just 18 years old at the time, the right-arm pacer returned with sensational figures of 3/6 to help her team claim the gold medal. That performance had come eight months after she won the player of the match award in final of the ICC Women's U-19 T20 World Cup.

At the DY Patil Stadium here on Friday, competing in just her fifth T20I, Titas got on a roll once again to help India beat Australia by nine wickets in the opening game of the three-match series. The Bengal pacer picked 4/17 as the visitors were bowled out for 141 after being asked to bat first. From there, it was the Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana show that powered the hosts to 145/1 in 17.4 overs. Through the course of the preceding one-off Test and ODI series between the two teams, a familiar sight during India's training sessions was bowling coach Troy Cooley chatting animatedly with Titas.